In general, materials handling processes utilizing tools permit decreased contamination of comestibles, increased consistency of comestibles, increased quality control, and increased rates of production. These improvements can result in high profitability and/or safer products. However, known production and handling tools suffer from drawbacks.
Handling of pliant comestibles can damage the product by contacting the product with prongs and/or substantially planar surfaces thereby undesirably deforming the product. Such undesirable deforming can result in pliant comestibles being inconsistent in shape, can decrease the number of quality products produced, and/or can decrease the rate of production of pliant comestibles.
This undesirable deformation is especially problematic for pliant comestibles being cooked. Pliant comestibles that are being cooked can be heated unevenly due to material handling tools and/or can be shaped in an undesirable manner due to the inconsistency of force applied to the pliant comestible.
What is needed is a tool and process for handling pliant comestibles that is capable of handling the pliant comestibles without damaging the product.